Saturday, December 22, 2018

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

I am 67 years old today. My life isn’t perfect, but I do not doubt that I have it better than so many others in my industry, my nation and the world. I am well aware of how blessed I am.

I have a loving family and friends. I have the respect of so many people in the comics industry. I have the knowledge that I created characters and stories that mean a great deal to many people...and I am aware of the great responsibility that comes with creating an iconic character like Black Lightning. No matter how much it might annoy some folks at a certain large comics publishing outfit, I’ve no intention of ever forgoing that responsibility.

I have a body of work of which I am proud. I know I can continue to produce good work for a good many years to come. With an exception here and there, I don’t know what form that work will take. What I do know that I'll continue writing as long as I can give the work 100%. I expect to be writing for many years to come.

My birthday has turned into a two-day celebration. This is mostly due to the demands of the holiday season. That Jesus kid is such an attention diva. But he’s got his good qualities, too.

Yesterday, my son Eddie took me to see Aquaman and it is a wondrous movie. Great characters, messages and story. I didn’t even realize it ran two and a half hours until I read my pal Mike Sangiacomo’s review in The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer.

Yesterday evening, Saintly Wife Barb, Eddie and Kelly had a variety of food from one of our local pizza places. Eddie paid for my first year of the DC Universe streaming service - which needs a lot more Black Lightning - and set it up on our smart TV. There will clearly be some binge-watching in my future.

Today, I am overwhelmed by all the birthday greetings I’m getting online and elsewhere. Wow!

Tonight, when she gets home from work, Barb has some more presents for me to open. Eddie and Kelly may drop by as well.

My birthday present to myself is to not beat myself up over those things I can’t get done before Christmas. I will be writing about some more holiday horror movies, posting each bloggy thing as soon as I finish it. I will be responding to the hundred-plus e-mails, online messages and the like sitting in my files waiting for those responses. My goal is to be caught up on this before the end of the year. Because, sometime early next year, I hope to be making a very special trip that I can’t tell anyone about at the moment. I will likely continue to be a shameless tease in 2019.

Like Pops in the Luke Cage series on Netflix, my mantra is “Always forward.” I thank you for coming on my journey with me.

Happy birthday to me. Happy holidays to you.

© 2018 Tony Isabella

1 comment:

  1. For a Christmas gift for my brother Tim and my two pals Mike and Josh, I treated them all to Aquaman at the IMAX and deep dish at Giordano's Pizza. We had a magnificent time. I'm so glad you and Eddie had a similar experience toghether as well. Happy Birthday, my friend, with many more (filled with many more great Tony-forged Black Lightning stories) to come.

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